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The Mirror Sisters #3
Shattered Memories (3)
In this finale of the darkly gothic Mirror Sisters trilogy, one twin fears her reunion with sister dearest—from the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina (now Lifetime movies). For fans of Ruth Ware (The Woman in Cabin 10) and Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies).
They share an unbreakable bond...
An inescapable bond.
As identical twins, Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald have always done things in exactly the same way. Under their mother’s guidance their every outfit, every meal, and every thought was identical.
But now things are different.
With Kaylee back at home after her sister's betrayal, her life has been turned inside out. Both her mother and Haylee are away and Kaylee’s alone and more lost than ever. Her father suggests going to a new school where she can have a fresh start, and where no one will know about her dark past. But if Kaylee knows her sister at all, she knows that her twin isn’t through with her yet…
They share an unbreakable bond...
An inescapable bond.
As identical twins, Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald have always done things in exactly the same way. Under their mother’s guidance their every outfit, every meal, and every thought was identical.
But now things are different.
With Kaylee back at home after her sister's betrayal, her life has been turned inside out. Both her mother and Haylee are away and Kaylee’s alone and more lost than ever. Her father suggests going to a new school where she can have a fresh start, and where no one will know about her dark past. But if Kaylee knows her sister at all, she knows that her twin isn’t through with her yet…
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2017
204 people are currently reading
1423 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,079 followersBooks published under the following names - Virginia Andrews, V. Andrews, Virginia C. Andrews & V.C. Endrius. Books since her death ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
December 9, 2020
Pretty boring for the most part. Didn't really get interesting until 60 pages from the end. And I expected a more dramatic finale.
Did make one good point: how some people "get over" traumatic events (and especially the trauma they caused others) by the "forget and move on" method, pretending it never happened, or that it was nowhere near as bad as others make it out to be. And that's a bollocks way of avoiding responsibility and being held accountable.
Did make one good point: how some people "get over" traumatic events (and especially the trauma they caused others) by the "forget and move on" method, pretending it never happened, or that it was nowhere near as bad as others make it out to be. And that's a bollocks way of avoiding responsibility and being held accountable.
December 31, 2017
Really enjoyed this series, the only thing annoying about the series was the constant re-telling in all three books about how every single thing and detail in the twins life had to be the same. I got it in the first book, I didn't need to keep hearing it over and over in the other two books but other than that, I'd definitely read this series over again
August 13, 2019
Um, were the people who gave this more than 1 star paid by the ghost writer?!
***Spoilers Included***
“The longer I suffer, the longer I fear, the more I will hate my sister. Mother, of course, would say, ‘The longer you will hate yourself’” (7).
Ever read or watch something that’s so different from the previous installments that you think you’ve stumbled upon fan fiction? Well, look no further than the “conclusion” of this trilogy! With the second book, I admitted that I knew what I signed up for, but I really didn’t with this one. The optimistic part of me hopes that the ghost writer of the first two was fired, but with the constant dated references (such as another one to Titanic!), I know it’s not the case. Sometimes, I mark on my students’ papers so much that the end up completely changing what they wrote, and I assume that’s what happened to whatever old virginal woman (but actually it's an old man) who wrote this “refreshing, yet displeasing to my brain” text.
I’ve stated before and in the other reviews how dated this book is, published in 2017 with no reason to assume it was meant to be in an earlier year, but I was especially bombarded with the 80s/90s fashions such as Kaylee asking her dad to bring her jeans AND a blue denim jacket (6). Him obliging her denim-on-denim request might be the closest thing to actual child abuse either parent was guilty of! Then, we later get Kaylee in a pink, teal, blue, and yellow bodycon dress straight from 90210 (in an attempt to look “sexy” to make her sister jealous”)(47) and Haylee in her own black dress circa My So-Called Life with blue, yellow, and pink dots over a white turtleneck (in an attempt to seduce her crazy boyfriend when she sneaks out? Those turtlenecks certainly leave nothing to the imagination…)(388). The rest of the time, they’re in blouses, skirts, and sweaters like the cover of a vintage college brochure. Why didn’t someone 30 or younger warn this author?! Does anyone actually work for the V.C. Andrews corporation, or do they hire people over Craigslist?
The parents are as useless as always, but especially boring this book. The dad ineffectively tries to take a stand by saying he won’t be “fooled” by Haylee anymore, only to agree to let her return home for a visit. His only horrifically intriguing part is when he asks Kaylee if Troy is better looking than him (cue “Father Figure…” Oh, wait, the dad molestation is in Troy’s family…) (333). The mom doesn't care about making them act like the same person anymore and the most horrifying thing she does is decorate Haylee’s room in a “pink cloud” that any tween would die for and insist that Haylee is “away at school too” instead of an asylum…I had hopes that maybe the mom and Irene had become lovers or that the mom was conspiring with Haylee to trade lives with Kaylee, but those are interesting ideas, which definitely aren’t allowed in this book!
I was disappointed that this entire book was from Kaylee’s perspective. Sure, I love that the word “shrewd” is overused in her vocabulary and Haylee really wasn’t that interesting, but Kaylee becomes even more insufferable in this book, which is something I didn’t think was possible! (17). Kaylee says that there’s some Haylee in her, but she disappointingly doesn’t plot her twin’s or anyone else’s demise the entire book (24). Instead, she dresses “sexy” once, loses her virginity (and has an orgasm and then wants ice cream…), takes ecstasy (but stays in her room and yells at an imaginary person out the window, then pukes), randomly quotes Othello and any other text she read at school (which, as someone who teachers high schoolers can vouch, is so believable, especially since she didn’t know about the Trojan War (204)…), and spends the rest of her time acting like a “wise” grandmother who provides unsolicited advice worthy of being stitched on pillows to all of her “friends” or pretending to psychoanalyze everyone after having a brief stint in therapy that readers never get any insight into (why would any therapy stop before she transferred schools?!).
And, oh, the boys in this book who say phrases like “Put me on your dance card,” know endless mom and pop places to eat, and never pressure a girl! (135). Maybe Kaylee actually died in the second book and went to teen girl heaven, complete with a floppy-haired rich loner guy who likes that she says she’s interested in herself because it’s “honest” (207) and apparently has no issues other than chronic melancholy that he watched his father sexually abuse his sister (who also gets to decide she doesn’t need therapy). Why go to therapy when a hot guy will talk to you?! The added bonus is Haylee’s hot guy who sees a demon in her and hurls them off a cliff in some type of Native American sacrifice!
Final thoughts: 1. The inside phrases at the prep school like “newlyweds” for new students were like an elderly person attempting to use teen jargon (99). Oh, wait, no simile needed; it’s exactly what happened! 2. How did Kaylee need to forgive to survive? (82). Had no one forgiven, Haylee wouldn’ve never come home! And why didn’t she at least try to sleep with the new boyfriend?! 3. I liked when Haylee said that Kaylee pretended to be abducted (53). Why didn’t we get more on that?! 4. Audrina! (156). Plug for another book, or lazy writing by not thinking up a more original name in the franchise for Kaylee’s fake best friend? Who knows! 5. Why do they look like evil partially, Asian vampires on all of the covers?! 6. Does electric shock therapy still exist?!
***Spoilers Included***
“The longer I suffer, the longer I fear, the more I will hate my sister. Mother, of course, would say, ‘The longer you will hate yourself’” (7).
Ever read or watch something that’s so different from the previous installments that you think you’ve stumbled upon fan fiction? Well, look no further than the “conclusion” of this trilogy! With the second book, I admitted that I knew what I signed up for, but I really didn’t with this one. The optimistic part of me hopes that the ghost writer of the first two was fired, but with the constant dated references (such as another one to Titanic!), I know it’s not the case. Sometimes, I mark on my students’ papers so much that the end up completely changing what they wrote, and I assume that’s what happened to whatever old virginal woman (but actually it's an old man) who wrote this “refreshing, yet displeasing to my brain” text.
I’ve stated before and in the other reviews how dated this book is, published in 2017 with no reason to assume it was meant to be in an earlier year, but I was especially bombarded with the 80s/90s fashions such as Kaylee asking her dad to bring her jeans AND a blue denim jacket (6). Him obliging her denim-on-denim request might be the closest thing to actual child abuse either parent was guilty of! Then, we later get Kaylee in a pink, teal, blue, and yellow bodycon dress straight from 90210 (in an attempt to look “sexy” to make her sister jealous”)(47) and Haylee in her own black dress circa My So-Called Life with blue, yellow, and pink dots over a white turtleneck (in an attempt to seduce her crazy boyfriend when she sneaks out? Those turtlenecks certainly leave nothing to the imagination…)(388). The rest of the time, they’re in blouses, skirts, and sweaters like the cover of a vintage college brochure. Why didn’t someone 30 or younger warn this author?! Does anyone actually work for the V.C. Andrews corporation, or do they hire people over Craigslist?
The parents are as useless as always, but especially boring this book. The dad ineffectively tries to take a stand by saying he won’t be “fooled” by Haylee anymore, only to agree to let her return home for a visit. His only horrifically intriguing part is when he asks Kaylee if Troy is better looking than him (cue “Father Figure…” Oh, wait, the dad molestation is in Troy’s family…) (333). The mom doesn't care about making them act like the same person anymore and the most horrifying thing she does is decorate Haylee’s room in a “pink cloud” that any tween would die for and insist that Haylee is “away at school too” instead of an asylum…I had hopes that maybe the mom and Irene had become lovers or that the mom was conspiring with Haylee to trade lives with Kaylee, but those are interesting ideas, which definitely aren’t allowed in this book!
I was disappointed that this entire book was from Kaylee’s perspective. Sure, I love that the word “shrewd” is overused in her vocabulary and Haylee really wasn’t that interesting, but Kaylee becomes even more insufferable in this book, which is something I didn’t think was possible! (17). Kaylee says that there’s some Haylee in her, but she disappointingly doesn’t plot her twin’s or anyone else’s demise the entire book (24). Instead, she dresses “sexy” once, loses her virginity (and has an orgasm and then wants ice cream…), takes ecstasy (but stays in her room and yells at an imaginary person out the window, then pukes), randomly quotes Othello and any other text she read at school (which, as someone who teachers high schoolers can vouch, is so believable, especially since she didn’t know about the Trojan War (204)…), and spends the rest of her time acting like a “wise” grandmother who provides unsolicited advice worthy of being stitched on pillows to all of her “friends” or pretending to psychoanalyze everyone after having a brief stint in therapy that readers never get any insight into (why would any therapy stop before she transferred schools?!).
And, oh, the boys in this book who say phrases like “Put me on your dance card,” know endless mom and pop places to eat, and never pressure a girl! (135). Maybe Kaylee actually died in the second book and went to teen girl heaven, complete with a floppy-haired rich loner guy who likes that she says she’s interested in herself because it’s “honest” (207) and apparently has no issues other than chronic melancholy that he watched his father sexually abuse his sister (who also gets to decide she doesn’t need therapy). Why go to therapy when a hot guy will talk to you?! The added bonus is Haylee’s hot guy who sees a demon in her and hurls them off a cliff in some type of Native American sacrifice!
Final thoughts: 1. The inside phrases at the prep school like “newlyweds” for new students were like an elderly person attempting to use teen jargon (99). Oh, wait, no simile needed; it’s exactly what happened! 2. How did Kaylee need to forgive to survive? (82). Had no one forgiven, Haylee wouldn’ve never come home! And why didn’t she at least try to sleep with the new boyfriend?! 3. I liked when Haylee said that Kaylee pretended to be abducted (53). Why didn’t we get more on that?! 4. Audrina! (156). Plug for another book, or lazy writing by not thinking up a more original name in the franchise for Kaylee’s fake best friend? Who knows! 5. Why do they look like evil partially, Asian vampires on all of the covers?! 6. Does electric shock therapy still exist?!
November 2, 2017
Would have been an excellent book but stretching it to 3 was ridiculous. Each book was repetitive beyond belief.
November 18, 2017
I really wanted more out of this book and a better conclusion for the mirror sisters. I was extremely disappointed.
August 7, 2019
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Review also found here. I'll be honest, I fell into the trap with The Mirror Sisters. The first book was relatively rubbish but the second one was thrilling enough that I had high hopes for the series conclusion in Shattered Memories. Undoubtedly, we all know that V.C. Andrews' name needs to be retired as she passed away decades ago and the ghost-writer has more misses than hits.
While Shattered Memories had the potential to conclude the stories of Haylee and Kaylee, the finale was beyond underwhelming and left me feeling like there was no real end, no closure, and it fell as flat as it felt messy. I'm not sure how it even got published--or if it really is the series end--but damn, it was a let down. Especially when you consider how thrilling (and darkly twisted) the ending of The Mirror Sisters was leading straight up to Broken Glass. It had the potential to build onto that and show both sides of Haylee and Kaylee--but it just didn't.
And, as per usual, it shows how lackluster the ghost-writer has become in the years since he took control of the books published under the V.C. Andrews name. Something about it was all to familiar when it comes to the modern "V.C. Andrews" and that's not even the worst part.
The worst part is the wasted potential, the tendency to repeat the same parts in narrations multiple times in one chapter, and the general sloppiness we witness in plots and developments. I cannot fathom how the publisher approved this or why we haven't left V.C. Andrews' legacy the heck alone.
I'm getting off track--let's talk about plots. Good and bad.
I was also not keen on the fact that we only got one of the twins' side to the story. What made Broken Glass so compelling was that it had both girls front and center--a narration that was coherent and made the plot go quickly, making you question everything. It may not have been the makings of classic literature or anywhere near the twisted decadence that comes with Andrews' name, it still felt like the most V.C. Andrews title in recent memory.
Kaylee is a compelling enough narrator and visibly scarred from what she had to endure in her life of captivity for the time she was taken. The betrayal cut deep knowing that her twin sister, Haylee, was the reason that all of this happened. The family--as a whole--is on edge or completely destroyed. She doesn't... her narration falls flat, like most of the novel. I felt like so much could have been done with her story and she could have been developed further. She's still sympathetic--but there's just all sorts of wasted potential in how she is moving forward with her life.
Haylee is paying for her crimes. Maybe not in the way she deserves, but she is pretty far away from Kaylee. Thankfully. Again, the novel was lacking desperately her point of view. I feel like there was so much in her side of the story--the aftermath--that could have made the story balance out in the general creepy factor. I'm disappointed. I'm not disappointed in her endgame by the end of Shattered Memories (in fact, I saw it coming a mile away) but I just felt like everything about her was wasted.
After being back home for a short period of time--her mother is being cared for, given the fragility of her mental health and the absence of her sister is heavy--her father decides she may be better off changing schools. This, of course, is logical--the news of her abduction and all its gritty twists has certainly made her life more than complicated. I am going to be honest... I don't remember the name of her school. Like, at all. Because despite it being the main setting for majority of the novel, it just was background noise and there was no effort put into it.
That being said--I didn't mind the friendships that she made at school or her romance. I thought there was so much more (again, a theme) that could have been developed but the novels only saving grace was the scenes she shared with her two new friends and her love interest. I would normally be against love interests so soon into her recovery but the pacing was pretty organic and well developed (though still not great) and I enjoyed their scenes. A lot of common ground without being similar in back-story.
I really hated the lack of closure we got in Shattered Memories and overall my experience with this book was not warm. I wanted so much more. I walked away with nothing to show for it and I've already forgotten like... everything. Almost everything.
Review also found here. I'll be honest, I fell into the trap with The Mirror Sisters. The first book was relatively rubbish but the second one was thrilling enough that I had high hopes for the series conclusion in Shattered Memories. Undoubtedly, we all know that V.C. Andrews' name needs to be retired as she passed away decades ago and the ghost-writer has more misses than hits.
While Shattered Memories had the potential to conclude the stories of Haylee and Kaylee, the finale was beyond underwhelming and left me feeling like there was no real end, no closure, and it fell as flat as it felt messy. I'm not sure how it even got published--or if it really is the series end--but damn, it was a let down. Especially when you consider how thrilling (and darkly twisted) the ending of The Mirror Sisters was leading straight up to Broken Glass. It had the potential to build onto that and show both sides of Haylee and Kaylee--but it just didn't.
And, as per usual, it shows how lackluster the ghost-writer has become in the years since he took control of the books published under the V.C. Andrews name. Something about it was all to familiar when it comes to the modern "V.C. Andrews" and that's not even the worst part.
The worst part is the wasted potential, the tendency to repeat the same parts in narrations multiple times in one chapter, and the general sloppiness we witness in plots and developments. I cannot fathom how the publisher approved this or why we haven't left V.C. Andrews' legacy the heck alone.
I'm getting off track--let's talk about plots. Good and bad.
I was also not keen on the fact that we only got one of the twins' side to the story. What made Broken Glass so compelling was that it had both girls front and center--a narration that was coherent and made the plot go quickly, making you question everything. It may not have been the makings of classic literature or anywhere near the twisted decadence that comes with Andrews' name, it still felt like the most V.C. Andrews title in recent memory.
Kaylee is a compelling enough narrator and visibly scarred from what she had to endure in her life of captivity for the time she was taken. The betrayal cut deep knowing that her twin sister, Haylee, was the reason that all of this happened. The family--as a whole--is on edge or completely destroyed. She doesn't... her narration falls flat, like most of the novel. I felt like so much could have been done with her story and she could have been developed further. She's still sympathetic--but there's just all sorts of wasted potential in how she is moving forward with her life.
Haylee is paying for her crimes. Maybe not in the way she deserves, but she is pretty far away from Kaylee. Thankfully. Again, the novel was lacking desperately her point of view. I feel like there was so much in her side of the story--the aftermath--that could have made the story balance out in the general creepy factor. I'm disappointed. I'm not disappointed in her endgame by the end of Shattered Memories (in fact, I saw it coming a mile away) but I just felt like everything about her was wasted.
After being back home for a short period of time--her mother is being cared for, given the fragility of her mental health and the absence of her sister is heavy--her father decides she may be better off changing schools. This, of course, is logical--the news of her abduction and all its gritty twists has certainly made her life more than complicated. I am going to be honest... I don't remember the name of her school. Like, at all. Because despite it being the main setting for majority of the novel, it just was background noise and there was no effort put into it.
That being said--I didn't mind the friendships that she made at school or her romance. I thought there was so much more (again, a theme) that could have been developed but the novels only saving grace was the scenes she shared with her two new friends and her love interest. I would normally be against love interests so soon into her recovery but the pacing was pretty organic and well developed (though still not great) and I enjoyed their scenes. A lot of common ground without being similar in back-story.
I really hated the lack of closure we got in Shattered Memories and overall my experience with this book was not warm. I wanted so much more. I walked away with nothing to show for it and I've already forgotten like... everything. Almost everything.
November 4, 2017
Extremely disappointing compared to the first two. The ending felt rushed compared to the story as a whole. The trilogy should have only been 2 books.
December 3, 2017
Me to me: oh lookie another “VC Andrews” book is available at the library...
Me replying to me: NOOOOOO! Don’t do it!
The stupid self-loathing version of me won out. Pure torture. Should have pulled a very rare “did not finish” but I am a freaking trooper. Also since the last book was much better than the first in the series I really did hold out hope that maybe this series would end on a positive note. This is the end right? Please don’t give this guy another book. I don’t want to be mean but I am really angry about what they’re doing to VC Andrews’ name at this point.
The bad starts very early on when Kaylee explains to us that her sister’s therapist is an African American woman. She wasn’t surprised that her daddy hadn’t mentioned the doctor’s race to her because her parents totally aren’t racist. Heck her daddy had even worked with some successful black men, one of whom had even played tennis at their home. What the actual.... whatever, moving on.
It went downhill from there. That same therapist went on to blame Kaylee for Haylee going catatonic during their meeting. Actually truly blamed. Not in a maybe your visit wasn’t a good idea kind of way. In an accusatory, you want to destroy your sister kind of way. That’s why you look pretty isn’t it you evil wench. Basically. All of this despite the fact that nothing Kaylee had said to the doctor implied she wanted to destroy her sister.
From there Kaylee starts at a new school and we’re supposed to believe that a rich executive’s kid who had gone missing either wasn’t a story that made the news or that the news hadn’t reached her fellow rich kid classmates anyway. Riiiight.
New school where no one reads the news means that Kaylee decides to reinvent herself as an only child. When she almost goofs, she decides to say the sister stuff she’s tripping herself up on is really her imaginary friend “Audrina” — someone who came from books she’s read. *insert eye roll here*. I hope that’s not what passes for a clever inside joke or easter egg these days.
Blah blah blah boring stuff. As Kaylee leaves school grounds with a boy, she’s hoping they don’t see anyone who outs her as the kidnapping victim. See, I was right! Only rich kids don’t have access to public major news stories. Everyone else may know.
And let’s discuss the boy, Troy. He calls his uncle his “father’s younger brother” probably to build up the word count in this book since nothing is happening. Oh and he knows about the best ice cream place because that’s where he custom orders pen ink refills. Not kidding.
Still reading? We’re only half way through.
Oh no! Girls are going “parking” to kiss boys. Despite the laptops, it’s apparently set in the 1950s.
You never know how you’ll be the day after? Said no girl ever about sex. Oh wait, yes in these books that’s why you would do homework on the weekend. Don’t ask me, I’m but a mere reader.
Oh thank goodness someone googled her and found her story.
Someone with a bag full of pills, who knows only two are missing, isn’t going to make her friend puke them up just because she’s giggly.
Oh FFS. He didn’t know why he was crying? After witnessing what he witnessed? Troy is an idiot.
Stuff stuff. Boring. Oh a finale. Thank goodness. A really dumb rushed ending.
Andrew Neiderman may be a genius writer (I did like his earlier VC Andrews books) but he’s an older man and clearly doesn’t understand being a young girl. It’s all sooooo awkward. How they’re still publishing these is beyond me. As to why I was still reading? Library books are free and I am stupid.
Me replying to me: NOOOOOO! Don’t do it!
The stupid self-loathing version of me won out. Pure torture. Should have pulled a very rare “did not finish” but I am a freaking trooper. Also since the last book was much better than the first in the series I really did hold out hope that maybe this series would end on a positive note. This is the end right? Please don’t give this guy another book. I don’t want to be mean but I am really angry about what they’re doing to VC Andrews’ name at this point.
The bad starts very early on when Kaylee explains to us that her sister’s therapist is an African American woman. She wasn’t surprised that her daddy hadn’t mentioned the doctor’s race to her because her parents totally aren’t racist. Heck her daddy had even worked with some successful black men, one of whom had even played tennis at their home. What the actual.... whatever, moving on.
It went downhill from there. That same therapist went on to blame Kaylee for Haylee going catatonic during their meeting. Actually truly blamed. Not in a maybe your visit wasn’t a good idea kind of way. In an accusatory, you want to destroy your sister kind of way. That’s why you look pretty isn’t it you evil wench. Basically. All of this despite the fact that nothing Kaylee had said to the doctor implied she wanted to destroy her sister.
From there Kaylee starts at a new school and we’re supposed to believe that a rich executive’s kid who had gone missing either wasn’t a story that made the news or that the news hadn’t reached her fellow rich kid classmates anyway. Riiiight.
New school where no one reads the news means that Kaylee decides to reinvent herself as an only child. When she almost goofs, she decides to say the sister stuff she’s tripping herself up on is really her imaginary friend “Audrina” — someone who came from books she’s read. *insert eye roll here*. I hope that’s not what passes for a clever inside joke or easter egg these days.
Blah blah blah boring stuff. As Kaylee leaves school grounds with a boy, she’s hoping they don’t see anyone who outs her as the kidnapping victim. See, I was right! Only rich kids don’t have access to public major news stories. Everyone else may know.
And let’s discuss the boy, Troy. He calls his uncle his “father’s younger brother” probably to build up the word count in this book since nothing is happening. Oh and he knows about the best ice cream place because that’s where he custom orders pen ink refills. Not kidding.
Still reading? We’re only half way through.
Oh no! Girls are going “parking” to kiss boys. Despite the laptops, it’s apparently set in the 1950s.
You never know how you’ll be the day after? Said no girl ever about sex. Oh wait, yes in these books that’s why you would do homework on the weekend. Don’t ask me, I’m but a mere reader.
Oh thank goodness someone googled her and found her story.
Someone with a bag full of pills, who knows only two are missing, isn’t going to make her friend puke them up just because she’s giggly.
Oh FFS. He didn’t know why he was crying? After witnessing what he witnessed? Troy is an idiot.
Stuff stuff. Boring. Oh a finale. Thank goodness. A really dumb rushed ending.
Andrew Neiderman may be a genius writer (I did like his earlier VC Andrews books) but he’s an older man and clearly doesn’t understand being a young girl. It’s all sooooo awkward. How they’re still publishing these is beyond me. As to why I was still reading? Library books are free and I am stupid.
November 20, 2017
Was this the best they could do?
Wow... Just wow... Where do I even start?
Shattered Memories is the third and final book in The Mirror Sisters trilogy. The first book was decent and the second book was difficult to put down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next. When I finished the second book, I have been itching for months to get my hands on Shattered Memories. But after finishing this book, I wish the series had just stopped at the second book.
To start, I ended the second book with a few questions that I thought would be answered in Shattered Memories. They weren't even acknowledged.
One of the reasons readers would want to read Shattered Memories is to find out what's going to happen next with Kaylee and what the future holds for Haylee after what she did to her sister. Well, here's what happens with Kaylee. She gets enrolled in a private school where she makes some new friends and develops a relationship with a boy there. That's basically what makes up the majority of the book. Nothing too interesting there. It was actually pretty dull. It doesn't have all that much to do with Haylee. In fact, we only see Haylee twice throughout the entire course of the book.
Kaylee was pretty likable in the first two books, but she was actually pretty annoying in this one. Particularly because of her obsession with keeping her past a secret from everyone at her school which only made her come across as super mysterious to everyone and made people wonder what secrets she may have. And then she'd go into a panic because, was she being too obvious? Well, duh! I mean, how self-absorbed do you have to be to think that everybody is going to be bending over backwards trying to discover what skeletons in the closet you may have? In a real life situation, most people are too concerned with themselves and their own lives to pay much attention to what's going on with others, but Kaylee acted like she believed there was a spotlight on her at all times and she could never be too careful when in reality, if she had just acted normal and toned down the mystery a little bit more, her friends might not have suspected she was hiding things.
In the summary, it is also implied that Haylee may still be up to her old tricks and so you keep waiting for that moment (particularly during Thanksgiving dinner) when she will do something or try to do something to Kaylee. There is an excessive amount of buildup because we are forced to eagerly anticipate Haylee coming home for Thanksgiving and we are dying to see how crazy things will get when she does (primarily because we are so bored by this point that we are dying for some action already). In the end, nothing happens between Kaylee and Haylee. The tension between them is there, but nothing much occurs beyond that until the next day when Kaylee discovers that Haylee ran away from home overnight. By this point, there are only five more pages left. In those five pages, Haylee ran away from home with a boyfriend that escaped from the mental institution and it was soon discovered that he got them both killed. All this in the last five pages of the book. Then it was over and that was it. All this buildup... for that? This is what I've been looking forward to for months? I want my money back. I could have written a better alternate ending than that.
Wow... Just wow... Where do I even start?
Shattered Memories is the third and final book in The Mirror Sisters trilogy. The first book was decent and the second book was difficult to put down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next. When I finished the second book, I have been itching for months to get my hands on Shattered Memories. But after finishing this book, I wish the series had just stopped at the second book.
To start, I ended the second book with a few questions that I thought would be answered in Shattered Memories. They weren't even acknowledged.
One of the reasons readers would want to read Shattered Memories is to find out what's going to happen next with Kaylee and what the future holds for Haylee after what she did to her sister. Well, here's what happens with Kaylee. She gets enrolled in a private school where she makes some new friends and develops a relationship with a boy there. That's basically what makes up the majority of the book. Nothing too interesting there. It was actually pretty dull. It doesn't have all that much to do with Haylee. In fact, we only see Haylee twice throughout the entire course of the book.
Kaylee was pretty likable in the first two books, but she was actually pretty annoying in this one. Particularly because of her obsession with keeping her past a secret from everyone at her school which only made her come across as super mysterious to everyone and made people wonder what secrets she may have. And then she'd go into a panic because, was she being too obvious? Well, duh! I mean, how self-absorbed do you have to be to think that everybody is going to be bending over backwards trying to discover what skeletons in the closet you may have? In a real life situation, most people are too concerned with themselves and their own lives to pay much attention to what's going on with others, but Kaylee acted like she believed there was a spotlight on her at all times and she could never be too careful when in reality, if she had just acted normal and toned down the mystery a little bit more, her friends might not have suspected she was hiding things.
In the summary, it is also implied that Haylee may still be up to her old tricks and so you keep waiting for that moment (particularly during Thanksgiving dinner) when she will do something or try to do something to Kaylee. There is an excessive amount of buildup because we are forced to eagerly anticipate Haylee coming home for Thanksgiving and we are dying to see how crazy things will get when she does (primarily because we are so bored by this point that we are dying for some action already). In the end, nothing happens between Kaylee and Haylee. The tension between them is there, but nothing much occurs beyond that until the next day when Kaylee discovers that Haylee ran away from home overnight. By this point, there are only five more pages left. In those five pages, Haylee ran away from home with a boyfriend that escaped from the mental institution and it was soon discovered that he got them both killed. All this in the last five pages of the book. Then it was over and that was it. All this buildup... for that? This is what I've been looking forward to for months? I want my money back. I could have written a better alternate ending than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2017
1.5 stars rounded down. The only good thing about this book was the ending. It was a struggle to get through and felt as though both the writer and editor got lazy. Even though the story is supposed to be told by a teenage girl, you could tell it was written by a guy. There were unnecessary sentences which were annoying to read for many reasons. The first two books weren’t bad, but this one was pretty terrible.
January 5, 2018
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh there was so much potential for this. But meh I wasn't a fan, actually a bit disappointed. I'm going to write a full review ASAP.
August 5, 2018
A satisfying conclusion to the dark, disturbing world of the Fitzgerald Family. I appreciate how it is told in real-time and never stops.
November 13, 2017
This Trilogy could have been 2 books... I actually enjoyed this 3rd one, and was hoping for some closure to the Storyline of Haylee and Kaylee, but in the end found only more Questions than conclusion.
I absolutely HATED how Kaylee seemed to be rushed through therapy and then sent away to school simply with the advice of "try and move past it"
Was there no trial/arrest of Anthony Cabot? Why was there not even a PARAGRAPH of the outcome, and surely if they had taken him alive there would have been a trial that Kaylee would have needed to be a part of (yes i know it is trivial but it could have been a very small part of the opening chapter to say what happened to this guy.... and was it ever clarified what was up with his norman-bates-esque Mother? Was she alive and just ancient? Or was she a corpse that he kept around? QUESTIONS!!! SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
As far as Kaylee going to school a few hours away an no one there knowing ANYTHING about her- especially with the internet and social media- are we to really belivee No ONE had heard of this storyline of a Girl being kidnapped, held hostage and finally rescued alive??? The stories of Jaycee Duggard and Elizabeth smart were NATIONAL news, and when they were rescued the news was "Breaking" and shows were interrupted and it was the top story on the news that evening.
(i know...i know... this is just a book, but really Neiderman seems to live in some timeless world were its "current" time and people have cell phones, but no one will know who Kaylee is..... just frustrating
As far as the end...
REALLY??????????????????? That it? Haylee came to Thanksgiving, plays "Nice" but really isn't any different, then ran away and died??? I seriously feel like Neiderman simply gets tired of writing a story and is like "eh...im just gonna kill her off and that's it"
Oh- and also the "shock therapy" Haylee was to receive, and then she was all better??? We never found out any reasons or motivations, never found out ANYTHING about what her deal/issues were- Was she just a bad seed? Was it jealousy gone overboard because of the Mothers treatment of them???
Overall- the books were ***OK*** (still could have been 2 books) Better than the crap he has put out in the past few years but still absolute CRAP with our beloved V.C. Andrews name still attached.
I absolutely HATED how Kaylee seemed to be rushed through therapy and then sent away to school simply with the advice of "try and move past it"
Was there no trial/arrest of Anthony Cabot? Why was there not even a PARAGRAPH of the outcome, and surely if they had taken him alive there would have been a trial that Kaylee would have needed to be a part of (yes i know it is trivial but it could have been a very small part of the opening chapter to say what happened to this guy.... and was it ever clarified what was up with his norman-bates-esque Mother? Was she alive and just ancient? Or was she a corpse that he kept around? QUESTIONS!!! SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
As far as Kaylee going to school a few hours away an no one there knowing ANYTHING about her- especially with the internet and social media- are we to really belivee No ONE had heard of this storyline of a Girl being kidnapped, held hostage and finally rescued alive??? The stories of Jaycee Duggard and Elizabeth smart were NATIONAL news, and when they were rescued the news was "Breaking" and shows were interrupted and it was the top story on the news that evening.
(i know...i know... this is just a book, but really Neiderman seems to live in some timeless world were its "current" time and people have cell phones, but no one will know who Kaylee is..... just frustrating
As far as the end...
REALLY??????????????????? That it? Haylee came to Thanksgiving, plays "Nice" but really isn't any different, then ran away and died??? I seriously feel like Neiderman simply gets tired of writing a story and is like "eh...im just gonna kill her off and that's it"
Oh- and also the "shock therapy" Haylee was to receive, and then she was all better??? We never found out any reasons or motivations, never found out ANYTHING about what her deal/issues were- Was she just a bad seed? Was it jealousy gone overboard because of the Mothers treatment of them???
Overall- the books were ***OK*** (still could have been 2 books) Better than the crap he has put out in the past few years but still absolute CRAP with our beloved V.C. Andrews name still attached.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2017
This 3rd book shouldn't have happened. Everything that happened at Kaylee's new school could have been taken out. (because, really, who cares about all that. All we care about is what will happen when Kaylee and Haylee reunite). And that would leave 4-5 chapters, which could be added to the second book and voila, story is over.
May 11, 2022
I'm an idiot for reading all three of these books. The series plods along like an OAP driving on a Sunday, and then decides to swing wildly to overly dramatic on two separate occasions (the end of the first, and the end of the third). I'm not sure I've ever read a trilogy with so little substance. It's filled with so many words, but many things are left unresolved.
Spare yourself and don't read these.
Spare yourself and don't read these.
November 18, 2017
This conclusion was disappointing for me. If it wasn’t how repetitive the characters could then it was how they acted so out of character. This story was unbelievable and not in the sense that it was so good. It was actually unbelievable. If it wasn’t for the new addition of characters, Troy and Claudia, I’m not sure I would’ve finished.
Read full review here: https://beentherereadthat.blog/2017/1...
Read full review here: https://beentherereadthat.blog/2017/1...
November 19, 2017
This was a good finish to the series. I like that it followed Kaylee's journey after what her twin put her through. It had the classic V.C. Andrews typecast mother role. I knew what was going to happen in the end as soon as the character was described though. I felt that this series (aside from the first half of the first book) was one of the strongest from the ghostwriter in years. I look forward to the next.
May 25, 2020
Well, I guess I'm a masochist. For whatever reason, I went back to this. And for my troubles, I got boredom, no answers on what happened with Anthony, and an underwhelming resolution. The thing with Troy would've been okay, except that he took some actions I found wrong considering what he knew of Kaylee's past. Either way, this was a disappointment, especially after the second book.
July 7, 2022
A few things:
You don’t have to say a character is African American and then note that your character isn’t prejudice. You can just say the character is African American and leave it at that because now I’m questioning both the characters in question and the author! I’m not saying the Ghost Writer has a problem because I don’t know, but I found that far weirder than V.C. Andrews’ own questionable character descriptions. I don’t know. It was way strange.
And…
How are you gunna send a character to a private school in a book that has the Andrews’ name on it and not have ONE mean girl? No blindfolding Kaylee, tying her up, and leading her to a dangerous attic to be left alone? No spreading vicious rumors about her? What’s that all about? For shame!
And…
What a waa-waa-waa ending!
This trilogy was just alright. This is the first of the newer books I’ve read that are under the Andrews’ name. I kind of think, right now, that he should just write under his own name at this point!
You don’t have to say a character is African American and then note that your character isn’t prejudice. You can just say the character is African American and leave it at that because now I’m questioning both the characters in question and the author! I’m not saying the Ghost Writer has a problem because I don’t know, but I found that far weirder than V.C. Andrews’ own questionable character descriptions. I don’t know. It was way strange.
And…
How are you gunna send a character to a private school in a book that has the Andrews’ name on it and not have ONE mean girl? No blindfolding Kaylee, tying her up, and leading her to a dangerous attic to be left alone? No spreading vicious rumors about her? What’s that all about? For shame!
And…
What a waa-waa-waa ending!
This trilogy was just alright. This is the first of the newer books I’ve read that are under the Andrews’ name. I kind of think, right now, that he should just write under his own name at this point!
March 16, 2018
i enjoyed this series but i wanted more Haylee in this book. its the mirror sisters series but this one was more Kaylee. which is ok but with the way it ended, i wanted more. and as always it ends realistically not a happily ever after. i kinda wanted a happily ever after on this one. too much left me wondering how their futures looked
March 6, 2018
Lifetime movie book.
Great story line. Easy read kept my attention. The book could have told more at the end but it was something people can relate to.
Great story line. Easy read kept my attention. The book could have told more at the end but it was something people can relate to.
January 4, 2018
Let’s talk about the plot:
Okay, so this book picks up soon after the events of book 2. Kaylee is in therapy and getting ready to attend a new school, and starting to realise she needs to separate herself from Haylee.
Except she can’t. Haylee is constantly ‘with’ her everywhere. In her thoughts, and her speaking. A reminder of what Kaylee was put through, and her demons from that experience constantly came back to hurt her. At her new school, she finds herself meeting some colourful characters, and all the while is trying to shake a feeling of uneasiness and wondering what truly will become of Haylee, the sister she adores (I feel bad using present tense seeing as to what happened, but alas).
Let’s talk about the writing:
Can I just say that I was ridiculously excited about this final instalment? Whilst book 1 had be so angry with rage, book 2 kind of lulled a bit, whereas book 3 had such an intense start I was nervous for what was to come. The writing itself initially was great! Fast paced, nail biting, you couldn’t guess what would happen next. But then, about a quarter of the way through, it took a lull and I felt like I was mostly reading filler chapters. I was hoping that Kaylee’s roommates would be darker, and that there would be many a twist, and then about 3/4 of the way through, once Haylee was mentioned again, things rapidly picked up, and I was hoping for an epic finale. Because in the past I have freaking loved VC Andrews’ books, book 1 was freaking brilliant, and I love the authors Dollangager book series. The Mirror Sisters was fast on the track to becoming my next favourite series from the author, now, I can’t say that’s the case. I honestly feel like where it was dull, repetitive and not as exciting, so much more could’ve been happening! And I’m annoyed because the writing in book 1, and even in some parts of book 2, was so emotional!! This definitely didn’t deliver in the end! I mean, why write Haylee the way she did?! And have her come in and make what was possibly the most stupid exit, like ever?
Let’s talk about the characters:
Let’s not talk about Haylee. I don’t like her. Never have. Who arranges their own freaking twin sister’s bloody abduction?
Kaylee is honestly the definition of a sweet summer flower. That’s the best term I could think of. I was admiring her at first, excited to see her start fresh, but then she just became too repetitive, I mean okay I get she was reluctant to open up to people but then to turn to drugs because of this?! No honey!
And why the bloody hell (excuse me) did she forgive Haylee for putting her through everything? I mean, girl! You were TORTURED! And okay sure she was scared of her at first, as you bloody (excuse me) would be, and good on you love, for standing your ground. And I admire your forgiveness; but, and I guess denial was a prominent feature here, but to think that Haylee wanted to be ‘The Mirror Sisters’ as they were originally meant that theoretically, it all would’ve been for nothing!
I thank you for reading. I think this’ll be the last VC Andrews book I read for a good while. *shakes head sadly*.
Okay, so this book picks up soon after the events of book 2. Kaylee is in therapy and getting ready to attend a new school, and starting to realise she needs to separate herself from Haylee.
Except she can’t. Haylee is constantly ‘with’ her everywhere. In her thoughts, and her speaking. A reminder of what Kaylee was put through, and her demons from that experience constantly came back to hurt her. At her new school, she finds herself meeting some colourful characters, and all the while is trying to shake a feeling of uneasiness and wondering what truly will become of Haylee, the sister she adores (I feel bad using present tense seeing as to what happened, but alas).
Let’s talk about the writing:
Can I just say that I was ridiculously excited about this final instalment? Whilst book 1 had be so angry with rage, book 2 kind of lulled a bit, whereas book 3 had such an intense start I was nervous for what was to come. The writing itself initially was great! Fast paced, nail biting, you couldn’t guess what would happen next. But then, about a quarter of the way through, it took a lull and I felt like I was mostly reading filler chapters. I was hoping that Kaylee’s roommates would be darker, and that there would be many a twist, and then about 3/4 of the way through, once Haylee was mentioned again, things rapidly picked up, and I was hoping for an epic finale. Because in the past I have freaking loved VC Andrews’ books, book 1 was freaking brilliant, and I love the authors Dollangager book series. The Mirror Sisters was fast on the track to becoming my next favourite series from the author, now, I can’t say that’s the case. I honestly feel like where it was dull, repetitive and not as exciting, so much more could’ve been happening! And I’m annoyed because the writing in book 1, and even in some parts of book 2, was so emotional!! This definitely didn’t deliver in the end! I mean, why write Haylee the way she did?! And have her come in and make what was possibly the most stupid exit, like ever?
Let’s talk about the characters:
Let’s not talk about Haylee. I don’t like her. Never have. Who arranges their own freaking twin sister’s bloody abduction?
Kaylee is honestly the definition of a sweet summer flower. That’s the best term I could think of. I was admiring her at first, excited to see her start fresh, but then she just became too repetitive, I mean okay I get she was reluctant to open up to people but then to turn to drugs because of this?! No honey!
And why the bloody hell (excuse me) did she forgive Haylee for putting her through everything? I mean, girl! You were TORTURED! And okay sure she was scared of her at first, as you bloody (excuse me) would be, and good on you love, for standing your ground. And I admire your forgiveness; but, and I guess denial was a prominent feature here, but to think that Haylee wanted to be ‘The Mirror Sisters’ as they were originally meant that theoretically, it all would’ve been for nothing!
I thank you for reading. I think this’ll be the last VC Andrews book I read for a good while. *shakes head sadly*.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2018
Great ending
Loved this series. I've always been a fan of VC Andrews since childhood. I own most all of her books before digital reading. Great ending with always leaving something to your imagination is a gift in all of her writings.
Loved this series. I've always been a fan of VC Andrews since childhood. I own most all of her books before digital reading. Great ending with always leaving something to your imagination is a gift in all of her writings.
February 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this one, and the bittersweet ending. This was an interesting series.
July 26, 2019
This read was much better than the previous two books. Although I wasn't a fan of littlefield school parts of the book, there was a little depth to Kaylee, get secrecy and nearly going on the deep end, but her classmates covered for her. Both sisters found a man and tried to move on from their past, but one ended deadly.
February 16, 2018
Must say I like this book a lot more than the previous two. The other two had a great plot and story line was great but hated how repetitive they were written! And how the Author If felt like to me would repeat the same thing over and over again!
However this book I loved yes it did the repeated thing but only a little I felt like she got more in depth with the characters and to me the story line was a lot smoother going than her other two books! I am glad I stuck it out and continue to read through these 3 books because I felt like the ending and the last book was so totally worth it!
Loved it
However this book I loved yes it did the repeated thing but only a little I felt like she got more in depth with the characters and to me the story line was a lot smoother going than her other two books! I am glad I stuck it out and continue to read through these 3 books because I felt like the ending and the last book was so totally worth it!
Loved it
May 24, 2019
Kaylee was rescued from the basement of a man that her sister, Haylee, tricked into abducting her. The last book in the trilogy begins with Kaylee outlining her recovery and seeing her sister in a mental health facility. Haylee seems to be catatonic and goes into a downward spiral when she sees Kaylee doing much better than herself.
Their mother continues in a fragile state of mind but apparently gets progressively better throughout the storyline. Their father is still the backbone of the family, holding everything together which is much different from the first book and how he abandoned the family.
Kaylee begins at a new school where she meets new friends that she genuinely enjoys and even finds a boy, Troy, who she ends up falling for. This could be due to them both having traumatic experiences in their personal lives. It feels good to read how Kaylee slowly recuperates from the scary situation she was in. You want to root for her the entire time!! It really is a happy ending for her.
Then Haylee, Kaylee, and her mother all get together for Thanksgiving. Haylee doesn't seem remorseful but she seems like a different person as if she genuinely cares about what is happening with everyone else. Haylee tells Kaylee of a boy she's fallen for in the nuthouse. At the end of day she sneaks out and meets up with the boy she met at the facility and her mother goes into another frenzy. In the end, the boy Haylee snuck out performs a murder suicide of sorts by driving off a cliff.
In my opinion, this series left a lot to be desired. The second book was the most appealing. But there still remains unanswered questions about Anthony Cabot and his mother and what happens to him. You never get a real conversation from Haylee about her reasoning for setting her sister up. And in the final book, the ending felt so abrupt. Most of the book talked about Kaylee's time in school and building her life back up, which is great. But the synopsis made it seem like the book would be more sinister or something juicier would happen. It was a normal paced book up until the last chapter and it felt rushed.
I'm rating this book 3 stars because that's what I feel the trilogy deserves as a whole. Would I recommend the series? No. Will I forget the series? Yes. Wasn't great, wasn't terrible.
Their mother continues in a fragile state of mind but apparently gets progressively better throughout the storyline. Their father is still the backbone of the family, holding everything together which is much different from the first book and how he abandoned the family.
Kaylee begins at a new school where she meets new friends that she genuinely enjoys and even finds a boy, Troy, who she ends up falling for. This could be due to them both having traumatic experiences in their personal lives. It feels good to read how Kaylee slowly recuperates from the scary situation she was in. You want to root for her the entire time!! It really is a happy ending for her.
Then Haylee, Kaylee, and her mother all get together for Thanksgiving. Haylee doesn't seem remorseful but she seems like a different person as if she genuinely cares about what is happening with everyone else. Haylee tells Kaylee of a boy she's fallen for in the nuthouse. At the end of day she sneaks out and meets up with the boy she met at the facility and her mother goes into another frenzy. In the end, the boy Haylee snuck out performs a murder suicide of sorts by driving off a cliff.
In my opinion, this series left a lot to be desired. The second book was the most appealing. But there still remains unanswered questions about Anthony Cabot and his mother and what happens to him. You never get a real conversation from Haylee about her reasoning for setting her sister up. And in the final book, the ending felt so abrupt. Most of the book talked about Kaylee's time in school and building her life back up, which is great. But the synopsis made it seem like the book would be more sinister or something juicier would happen. It was a normal paced book up until the last chapter and it felt rushed.
I'm rating this book 3 stars because that's what I feel the trilogy deserves as a whole. Would I recommend the series? No. Will I forget the series? Yes. Wasn't great, wasn't terrible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2018
Final chapter in the Mirror Sisters...(?)
Kaylee has been rescued and recuperating in therapy after her ordeal that came about from an online "romance" created by her twin sister, Haylee.
Haylee on the other hand, has been in juvenile detention getting the help she needs...
Keri, their mother, has been also under a doctor's care because of her breakdown.
The only one that seems to be ok is the dad, Mason!
Part of Kaylee's recovery leads her to visit her sister, against her father's wishes....and it doesn't go well. She leaves with no answers.
The decision is made between Kaylee and her father, that for senior year she will go to a private school he has found far from the memories of what has happened to her. A fresh start. New school, new friends, new life. Keri isn't happy about it, but since she is still recovering herself, Mason believes it's best.
Kaylee has been trying to move on past the life she had with Haylee, but the childhood memories keep coming back. Finally it's time to leave. After saying goodbye to her mother, who is now home under care from a nurse, they make the drive to Littlefield. The closer they get, the more she panics and wants to turn back. With her dad's reassurances, they arrive.
After seeing the campus, meeting the kids, starting classes and making friends, Kaylee wonders if this could truly be what she needed to move forward in life separate from her sister, recovering from her captivity. Then she sees a boy that doesn't talk to anyone, sits by himself....well dressed and handsome. His name is Troy. They meet and he's a troubled soul, just like her. Can she go forward in a relationship with him after all she's been through..?
Then the news comes Haylee will be home for a visit on Thanksgiving....is she different? Is she the same? Is she sorry?
Only agreeing to have her come home will tell.
Kaylee has been rescued and recuperating in therapy after her ordeal that came about from an online "romance" created by her twin sister, Haylee.
Haylee on the other hand, has been in juvenile detention getting the help she needs...
Keri, their mother, has been also under a doctor's care because of her breakdown.
The only one that seems to be ok is the dad, Mason!
Part of Kaylee's recovery leads her to visit her sister, against her father's wishes....and it doesn't go well. She leaves with no answers.
The decision is made between Kaylee and her father, that for senior year she will go to a private school he has found far from the memories of what has happened to her. A fresh start. New school, new friends, new life. Keri isn't happy about it, but since she is still recovering herself, Mason believes it's best.
Kaylee has been trying to move on past the life she had with Haylee, but the childhood memories keep coming back. Finally it's time to leave. After saying goodbye to her mother, who is now home under care from a nurse, they make the drive to Littlefield. The closer they get, the more she panics and wants to turn back. With her dad's reassurances, they arrive.
After seeing the campus, meeting the kids, starting classes and making friends, Kaylee wonders if this could truly be what she needed to move forward in life separate from her sister, recovering from her captivity. Then she sees a boy that doesn't talk to anyone, sits by himself....well dressed and handsome. His name is Troy. They meet and he's a troubled soul, just like her. Can she go forward in a relationship with him after all she's been through..?
Then the news comes Haylee will be home for a visit on Thanksgiving....is she different? Is she the same? Is she sorry?
Only agreeing to have her come home will tell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2018
Just finished this book 3rd book in this trilogy didn't end the way I thought it would but was definitely a good book One worth picking up if you're a V.C.Andrews Fan. Pick up book 1 and 2 to know what happens to lead to 3 but Well worth picking up if you're Andrews fan I have always been and love these books even though someone else's writing them because she's gone the original author but on the same lines these are great books and loved this story .
December 6, 2017
Reviewed by Amy W.
Book provided by Pocket Books
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
In the aftermath of an ultimate betrayal, Kaylee Fitzgerald is trying to put her life back together. As the final installment of the Mirror Sisters trilogy, Shattered Memories provides a thrilling conclusion that left me stunned.
V.C. Andrews is well known for being able to craft literary masterpieces that are dark and twisty, focusing on those very valuable relationships that we call family. As demonstrated in this series, not all of those encounters are filled with love and good will. In fact, some of them are downright ugly and hateful.
While the Fitzgerald sisters are technically identical in appearance and have been groomed from birth to appear as mirror images, this particular installment highlights how different they have become. In the aftermath of a terrible tragedy that leaves one twin in a psychiatric facility and a family splintered, the other twin has to somehow find a way to establish herself as an individual.
I was amazed at how the author delved into the relationship between the two sisters, making this nightmare come to life. It was clear that both girls bore the emotional scars from a mother who orchestrated the mirror image concept from the beginning. Although I certainly didn’t expect the story to end as it did, there was no doubt that a simple reconciliation would never be possible.
My recommendation would be to read the series in sequence for maximum enjoyment. The story flows very well, with plenty of twists and turns to maintain interest. Ultimately, the events of the past resurface and must be faced before fresh beginnings can occur.
Book provided by Pocket Books
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
In the aftermath of an ultimate betrayal, Kaylee Fitzgerald is trying to put her life back together. As the final installment of the Mirror Sisters trilogy, Shattered Memories provides a thrilling conclusion that left me stunned.
V.C. Andrews is well known for being able to craft literary masterpieces that are dark and twisty, focusing on those very valuable relationships that we call family. As demonstrated in this series, not all of those encounters are filled with love and good will. In fact, some of them are downright ugly and hateful.
While the Fitzgerald sisters are technically identical in appearance and have been groomed from birth to appear as mirror images, this particular installment highlights how different they have become. In the aftermath of a terrible tragedy that leaves one twin in a psychiatric facility and a family splintered, the other twin has to somehow find a way to establish herself as an individual.
I was amazed at how the author delved into the relationship between the two sisters, making this nightmare come to life. It was clear that both girls bore the emotional scars from a mother who orchestrated the mirror image concept from the beginning. Although I certainly didn’t expect the story to end as it did, there was no doubt that a simple reconciliation would never be possible.
My recommendation would be to read the series in sequence for maximum enjoyment. The story flows very well, with plenty of twists and turns to maintain interest. Ultimately, the events of the past resurface and must be faced before fresh beginnings can occur.
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